Help?
by cHi-1000-SpRiNgS
Summary: cruddy title XP Hinata believes she has the life she deserves, although Deidara and his friends think otherwise. pairing:deihina setting:in real world
1. Chapter 1: The Stars, A Better Place?

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN Naruto! NO SUEING PLZ!

NO FLAMES EITHER!

Chapter 1

The stars… a better place?

"Ok… 55… Apartment 55… hey, wait a second, un…"

"Um… Deidara-sempai… there's no numbers on the doors…"

"I can see that Tobi, yeah," Deidara answered through clenched teeth.

"And how many times do I have to tell you… Stop calling me 'Deidara-_sempia_'! I'm not your sempai, un!"

"What ever you say… Deidara-sempai,"

"Ughhhh!" Deidara rolled his eyes… this was going to be a long day…

He knocked on the nearest door, hoping to uncover their apartment number so he could count down or up from that.

After the second round of knocks, a small fragile looking female opened the door hiding all but her face behind it.

"H-Hello, c-can I h-help you?"

Her eyes were so light they were almost white, but there was a very distinct trace of a purple in them, and her voice was such a delicate pitch. Her words sounded like a song.

"0o0o0! You have very pretty eyes!" Tobi said, knocking Deidara out of his trance.

The blond looked to the floor, embarrassment crossing his features, along with a slight blush, as he realized he was staring.

"Ah, sorry to bother you, I just moved into the building, and I noticed there're no numbers on the doors, un." He laughed nervously.

She revealed the rest of her features from behind the door. She was wearing a light purple sun dress. It fell softly on her curves, and looked very lovely on her.

Yet, it didn't really seem to match her. She'd look better in something more casual.

"O-Oh, That would b-be a problem." She stuttered.

"They j-just replaced the doors recently, they should put the numbers on s-soon.

Wh-what number are y-you?" she asked.

It took him a second to respond, he really wasn't listening to her words just her voice. It was so beautiful.

"O-oh. Umm…"

"He's number 55 miss!" Tobi said, putting up both his hands so it looked like two 5's… or a 10.

"I-I'm 54. So you're apartment is r-right next to mine."

He couldn't help the smile that crossed his face. He would get to see this angel more often than he thought.

"Well, my name's Deidara, un. It's nice to meet you." He put his hand out in front of her for her to shake. She did, responding shyly with

"M-my name is H-Hinata."

"What a beautiful name, un." he smiled mischievously as she flushed bright red.

"Th-Th-Thank y-you" she stuttered out nervously.

"Oo! Oo, and my names Tobi!"

"N-Nice to meet you T-Tobi!" she responded laughing slightly at his enthusiasm.

Tobi gasped. "Did you hear that sempia? She likes meeting Tobi!"

Deidara simply ignored his statement and said, with a smile still placed firmly on his lips,

"Well… thanks for your help Hinata!"

"O-Oh, it was no problem D-Deidara-kun." She answered sweetly.

"We've gotta wait for the movers, yeah, so… I guess we'll see you around?"

She nodded, a sad smile covering her features. She knew there was a very small chance they would talk again, but there was no reason to bring that up.

"Bye, Bye Hinata-chan!"

"Bye T-Tobi-kun, bye D-Deidara-kun." She answered, smiling happily at her newly-made friends.

"Bye Hina-chan!" Deidara replied walking to his room.

Hina-chan? No ones every called her that before… but she liked it. It was so… casual.

She liked casual.

Hinata closed her door and walked to the kitchen. Time to make dinner.

Her fiancé Akito would be home in maybe a half-an-hour or more, so she had plenty of time to put some leftover meatloaf in the oven and heat-up some frozen vegetables in the microwave. She could only hope he was in a good mood. He'd been very testy ever since they began living together. She could tell he didn't really care for her, but her father was a rich and powerful politician, who wasn't going to let her marriage ruin his reputation in any way. He no doubt promised Akito a lot of money in his will.

Now that she thought of it, Akito reminded her too much of her father. He was just as cold and heartless, and she couldn't seem to push out the resemblance between her father and mother and Akito and herself.

Her father was ruthless when it came to Hinata's mother. He would beat her senseless for the stupidest things, like sleeping in past 8:00 AM, or taking too long to get the groceries. Her mother cried every night because of it. Hinata had heard her too many times to count, weeping in their bedroom where he locked her. She'd be in there for days on end sometimes.

After a while, her mother tried to leave. Almost everyday he would have to track her down and bring her home again. Their fights happened more often and after a few months she turned up dead, and, because of her father's power, no one investigated the case. It was written off as suicide, which left Hinata, at age 6, to be her father's new punching bag. He wouldn't touch her, though. He wouldn't let Hinata's bruises start any unwanted publicity. So instead, he beat her emotionally, until she became very quiet, afraid that she would say something wrong. That nervousness led to her stuttering, and, by the time she was eight, people made fun of her… proving the horrible things her father was saying to be true, and fueling his hatred towards her.

Akito had hit her, like her father had her mother, many times, but she figured she deserved it. She was an embarrassment, a failure. There wasn't one thing she could do right. She tried many times to do things that would make her father proud, but her grade average was a B., and she never got any awards at school, none that mattered at least. She failed at everything, and succeeded in nothing.

She was brought out of her thoughts when the front door opened and slammed shut. She winced at the sound.

"Hinata!" Akito's voice could be heard from the door.

"I-In the k-kitchen," She said softly. He stormed into the room and took her by her hair.

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop that incessant stuttering!" he screamed.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry A-Akito no D-Danna." Her eyes were beginning to water from the pain emanating from the roots of her hair. He sighed and gripped her hair tighter. She winced.

"What?" he said the word slowly, as if talking to a child.

She said each word very slowly, concentrating on the syllables. "I'm…. sorry…. Akito….No….Danna."

"Good." he smiled smugly as he let go of her hair. "Now… what's for dinner?" he put his face very close to hers.

She, once again, concentrated on the word. "Meatloaf."

"Any vegetables?" he looked as if he was trying to force a stutter out of her, but she very obediently said, "Peas."

"Good job. See? You can control it if you really want to." He grabbed her chin roughly and pecked her on the lips.

She sighed and, when he released her, got up to serve him dinner. Like usual, he took the plate she had set on the kitchen table, along with his fork knife and spoon, and walked into the living room to watch TV. She sighed again and made herself a plate, walking on to the balcony to eat at the nice white patio furniture that was set there, matching the metal fence that secured the small area.

It wasn't long before Hinata found herself staring longingly at the night sky.

"Hey, un. You like the stars too?" a familiar voice said from the balcony next to her.

"Oh… H-Hi… um, y-yes, th-they're very p-peaceful."

_They're like proof of a better place… _she added in her thoughts.

"Yeah, I think so too, un. It makes it seem like there's more to life than just this. That's there's something better out there."

She blinked a few times, "S-Strange… I feel the same way,"

They held each others gaze for a minute, smiling, until the door to the patio opened, and Hinata quickly looked down at her meatloaf and picked up her fork.

"Aw… there you are Hinata… I was looking for you. And who is this?" Akito looked over at Deidara.

"I'm Deidara, un. I just moved in today, hmm. Hina-chan here helped me figure out the apartment numbers."

"Oh, funny she didn't mention that. I'm Akito, Hinata's fiancé."

"Oh, nice to meet you, un." He went to reach over the balcony to shake his hand, but couldn't hide his disappointment.

"Yes, nice to meet you. Hinata-chan, are you done? Let me get your plate for you."

Without an argument, Hinata put down her fork and let him take her plate. She knew what was coming the minute they walked inside.

"See ya around Hina-chan, un."

She nodded in his direction, smiling slightly, and turned to walk back to the apartment.

As soon as they entered the 'safety' of their apartment, Akito slammed the plate in the sink, breaking it into pieces, and causing Hinata to jump.

"Who was he?" He annunciated in a low, angry voice, not removing his eyes from the broken plate.

She couldn't control the stuttering that came now.

"H-H-He kn-knocked o-o-on th-the d-d-door a-and s-said h-he d-didn't kn-know w-which a-apartment w-was f-fifty-f-five."

He walked up to her in two long strides and slapped her hard, then he grabbed her chin roughly, forcing her to look him in the eyes.

"Don't. Stutter."

She nodded her head fiercely.

Without another word, he kissed her, roughly pushing his tongue into her mouth. She sobbed quietly, the sound being muffled by his lips. He put his hands on her arms painfully, pushing her closer to him. When he finally let her breath, he brought his lips to her ear.

"Just remember, you're _my_ fiancé, and you love _me_. Only. Me."

He let go of her, and the minute her weight was put back onto her legs, they collapsed out from under her. He left her there, sobbing uncontrollably on the floor, to finish watching his TV.

It took her about 20 minutes to gain control of the tears, and, when she did, she got back to her usual routine of dishes. She threw out the broken plate, along with her dinner, and went to get his dish from the coffee table. He was asleep, and she couldn't help but thank the Gods for that. She took his plate and went to the sink to wash it. Just then, there was a knock on the door. She let the plate sit in the sink, water still running and dried her hands on her dress.

When she looked through the door hole, she saw a familiar blond. She sighed heavily and thought of whether she should just pretend she was sleeping, and ignore him, but before she could he said,

"I know you're there, I saw you peeking through the whole, un…"

She smiled softly and opened the door.

His features went from happiness to concern when he saw her tear drenched face.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, looking around her form and into the apartment.

"Y-yes… I'm f-fine. I was j-just going to b-bed, r-really."

He frowned at her, the look in her eyes said otherwise.

"Oh… ok, yeah… I was just wondering if you wanted to go to an arts fair this Friday." He suddenly smiled smugly, "They'll be showing my sculptures, un."

"Y-you're a sculptor D-Deidara-kun?" she asked curiously.

"Ya, well… not a very good one, I mean, there little sculptures, not like, life sized, yeah." His voice was clouded with fake modesty.

"That's s-still nice th-though, and I w-would really l-love to g-go… b-but… Akito w-w-wouldn't b-be v-very p-pleased."

Thinking of Akito made her very, very nervous.

"Well, it's at 12PM near the gazebo down town, so just think it over, un."

"Th-Thank you. I d-diffidently will." She said.

"Ok, so I'll see you there, un?" he said smiling.

"W-well… I d-do-"

"Ok… remember Friday at 12!" he said, walking towards his door.

"U-Um…"

"Bye Hina-chan!"

And he was gone.

She sighed. Why did he have to make things so much more difficult?

Closing the door, she finished the dishes and headed towards the bedroom to put on some P.J.s and get some sleep.

_AN:_ _YAYY! CHAPTER ONE IS FINALLY FINISHED!_

_If you like it, plz review! I realllly wants to know if you all likey'd or not… SO REVIEW! - oh, and I know you can't usually see someone through those wholes… but Deidara… is… magic ya that's it! I have no idea how I'm gonna end this story… I have a pretty good idea of the next chapter, but idk where to go after that… so if anyone has suggestions, I'm open to them! Thnx 3 _

cHi


	2. Chapter 2: The Flute

Chapter 2

The past two days had gone by slow and uneventful for Hinata. It was now Friday and her fiancé had left for work hours ago. It being about eleven thirty, Hinata was out of things to do. The kitchen had been swept, all carpets vacuumed, shower taken, and bathroom cleaned. She was about to go to the grocery store just for something to do when someone knocked on her door.

The eye whole revealed a blue eyed blond.

"Hey Hina-chan, yeah!" Deidara screamed waving at the small whole.

Deidara hadn't seen nor heard from Hinata in two days, and for some reason that felt excruciatingly long.

She opened the door, and replied, "H-Hello Deidara-kun." A shy smile on her lips.

"You didn't forget the arts festival, did you?"

Hinata blushed slightly. She had _totally_ forgotten.

"Um... Gomen nasai… I d-did… just a little…" she blushed and averted her gaze.

"That's ok… it's a good thing I reminded you, un. You would have missed out on a lot of fun," that familiar smug smile came back to his face, "and a chance to see my wonderful art, hmm."

"I would r-really love to see your art, Deidara-kun… b-but-"

"I could give you a ride, and don't worry, we should be back around 2:00, so Akito won't even know your gone, yeah."

Hinata sighed. She _should_ stay home like a good wife-to-be, but she could feel her slight sense of adventure getting the better of her, and he was right. Akito wouldn't find out, and it shouldn't bother him anyway. It's not like they're secretly dating, she's just going to see a certain friend's artwork being displayed… no big deal.

She sighed again, and a smile slowly formed on his face. He'd convinced her.

"O-Ok." She said, returning his smile.

"Great, yeah! I'll be right back!" He ran back to his apartment, and while he was gone, Hinata grabbed her purse and jacket.

He returned with his jacket and keys, and they were off to the festival!

As soon as they parked the car and began walking through the stands Hinata's eyes caught sight of a woman playing the flute. She immediately grabbed Deidara's hand and dragged him over.

"You like the flute, un?" He said, once he realized where they were going.

She nodded her head, smiling happily. "Ever since I was a little girl. I used to play… but I wasn't that good." She said, her head sinking slightly as a bush crept on her face out of embarrassment.

Deidara opened his mouth to contradict, but the crowd began to cheer for the flutist, interrupting his train of thought. He stared down at the Hyuuga, noticing the look of longing on her face as the instrumentalist's fingers glided smoothly from one note to the next.

"Follow me." He whispered in her ear as the flutist began yet another song.

She did and noticed that they were leaving the fair.

"Where are we going?" She asked, a little nervous.

"My friend owns an instrument store right around here…" he said, searching diligently for said store… "Now where was it…" he added, mostly to himself.

"O-Oh… I c-can't!" Hinata stuttered.

"Can't what?" he responded, "I can tell you're in love with that instrument, and I'm sure I can get a discount."

"B-But… I c-can't let you b-buy one for me! Th-they're so expensive!"

"It's no big deal… really. If he's in a good mood, I might be able to get it for free!"

The Hyuuga decided it was a mute point and let the blond drag her threw the streets until they stopped at a store called "Music Galore".

"Hey, Deidara-chan! What brings you here?" a man with oddly red hair said while standing behind a counter.

"Hey Sasori, my friend Hina-chan here needs a flute… you got one?" Deidara said, a big smile set on his lips.

"Sure… you got a-thousand dollars?" Sasori said returning the smile.

Deidara sweat dropped.

"You're not serious Deidara! You still owe me from that time I bought you all that clay."

"I promise I'll pay you back, un!" Deidara promised while giving a puppy dog pout that made Hinata giggle.

Sasori sighed, unable to resist the power of 'The Pout'. "Ok, ok Deidara, but you really owe me for this one." Sasori asked, a slight bit skeptical, feeling like he would never get his money. He handed a small case to the Hyuuga.

"A-Arigato Sasori-sama." She said, bowing respectively at the store keeper. He surprised her by laughing.

"You act like I'm a king or something… just Sasori, please." He said still laughing slightly.

She stood up right and blushed in embarrassment. "G-Gomen nasai S-sasori-sam- I mean, Sasori-kun." She couldn't help but smile at the name. She wished she could be around such friendly people all the time, instead of the politicians and other snobs she was around all day. All they'd ever do was criticize her on her silence, and when she did talk, her stutter.

"Well Sasori-chan, we're heading back to the arts fair, un. We'll see you around?" Deidara said, his cute pout turning back into his big smile.

"Ya, I was hoping to head down there at some point too, see you guys around!" he said as they walked out the door waving happily.

The indigo haired Hyuuga hugged the flute close to her chest. "Th-thank you so much, Deidara-kun." She smiled a genuine smile, so happy it looked like she might cry.

"Oh, it was no problem Hina-chan, yeah!" he said staring down at the small girl, shocked by how much this meant to her.

A/N: Next chapter….. Deidara's art! –cheers-

I hope you guys liked this chapter!

And yes, Sasori owns a music store, and I know he's wayyyyy ooc, but it was either him or Itachi, who I personally could neverrr imagine even close to that animated… lol XP he might come into the story, but I'm not sure yet…

REVIEW! Even if you already did, REVIEW AGAIN! Cause I wanna know what you think of each chapter and I want to know if you're still reading, so0o0o0o0o0o…

REVIEW 3 and by the way… NO FLAMES!


	3. Chapter 3: The Butterfly and Lotus

A/N: ok… I imagin dei's sculptures more like the ones you chisel, not the ones you make from clay… and I know I made a reference to clay in the other chapter… but I wasn't thinking that far ahead (-Insert nervous laugh here-)

So now that I got that outa the way…

Disclaimer: I can't own Naruto, because, although I've begged, it's still not for sale…

On with the story!

"Deidara! They're amazing!" Hinata said, seemingly forgetting all about the flute business.

"Oh I wouldn't say they're that great, I mean…" Deidara would've continued sharing his modesty, but Hinata wasn't listening. She walked up to one of the sculptures and fingered it carefully.

"It's so detailed." She mumbled, focusing even more on the realistic bird sculpture in front of her. It was perched on a branch of a Sakura tree that was in bloom. The only thing that would separate the bird from the real thing was the gray color of it.

"It's beautiful." She said, still rubbing her fingers along the shape in the stone.

"If you think that's beautiful. You should look at this." He said, gripping her shoulder gently and leading her over to another sculpture.

It was the most beautiful anything Hinata had ever seen. It was a butterfly perched on a lotus flower. The flower was sitting in a very small pond. The water had small ripples in it, which made it look extremely realistic. It took Hinata's breath away.

Deidara looked down at her face. That look of awe reminded him of someone. Someone he really didn't like thinking about. He looked to the ground as she studied his art, reminiscing on one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen. His mother…

"_Deidara! You're amazing!" a women with light brown hair said, looking at his newly made sculpture. It was a bird, that had only one leg because of his clumsiness, but that's not what she was looking at. The details of the body were unbelievable for a fifteen year old who only started about a year prior. The feathers looked like you would be able to pluck them out, and the women couldn't help but touch them gently. _

"_Dei-chan, you have talent! A lot of it!"_

"Dei-kun, these are really incredible! You have such talent!" Hinata said, looking up at him with admiring eyes. He was slightly surprised at the resemblance of their words, but shook it off as a coincidence.

"Thanks." He said recovering quickly and replacing his shock with a smug smile.

They looked around at his other sculptures for a while, him describing where he got each idea, except for the Lotus and Butterfly. Even Hinata could tell he was avoiding a description for that one, but she ignored it. She wasn't going to force anything on him. He must have a good reason not to mention it.

"Hey! A dango stand, yeah!" Deidara yelled, dragging her over to said stand. With a small squeak, the blunette followed behind.

"Two dango please, un!" The artist asked only to be interrupted by Hinata.

"D-Deidara-kun…" she said, timidly pulling on his shirt, "You're not buying one for me are you?"

"Why not? I sold four sculptures today! I got tons of money, yeah!" He said smiling down at her.

"But, you already got me a flute, and I'm really not hungry..." she said softly.

"Well... OK, yeah. If you say so..." He said, turning to the stand owner, "Two dango please!"

She looked up at him, surprise written all over her face. "D-Deidar-"

"What? More for me, un..." he took the two plates of dango and walked over to a picnic table, followed by a slightly surprised Hyuuga. They sat down and immediately Deidara looked her straight in the eyes. She knew he was up to something... but what?

Deidara slowly bit the first dango off the stick.

"Mmmm..." he said, chewing slowly with a look of extreme pleasure on his face, "These have got to be the best dango I've ever had! You sure you don't wanna have some? Just _one_, yeah?" He asked waving the remainder of the first dango stick in front of her face. She shook her head, eyes not leaving the delicious desert. If his plan was to trick her into going back on her word, he wouldn't succeed. She had taken enough from him, and no matter how tempting it was she _would not_ eat a dango.

"Well... OK then... if you _really_ don't want one..." He took off another dango, savoring the sugary taste.

If she wasn't brought up against it, Hinata would've been drooling. They looked so good, especially when he ate them like _that_. As he was about to start the last stick, Hinata's mouth betrayed her.

"Wait!" she squeaked, covering her mouth immediately after.

"What? You wouldn't happen to want one of these delicious, sweet, sugary, treats would you?"

"Ano... maybe... just one?" She asked, blushing at her failure to follow her own rule.

Deidara replied by smiling the biggest, smuggest smile she'd ever seen and handing her the stick of dango.

She smiled back shyly, taking the dango in defeat.

After their snack, they went back to help pack up his sculptures. The ones that weren't sold were to be put in his studio not far from where the park was.

"You have a studio Dei-kun?" She asked, staring at him admiringly.

"Yeah... I'll have to show you some time, un." he said, content with himself.

They packed up the rest of the sculptures and headed for his car, the lavender-eyed girl gripping the newly 'bought' flute's case tightly in her hands. As they got into his car, reality finally set in, and Hinata looked at the clock. Panic surged through her as she noticed the time. 5:30pm. Akito would be getting home any minute now. She'd just have to pray to all things holy that he wasn't home yet, and that he was in a good mood.

The blond who happened to be sitting next to her noticed her tense in her seat. He followed her gaze to the clock, and understood immediately.

"P-Please get m-me h-home." She said shakily.

Deidara nodded once and pulled the car out of its parking spot, slightly disappointed that her stutter was back. It wasn't that he didn't like it; he thought it was adorable; but it hurt him to think she wasn't comfortable around him, and he felt that stutter came from nervousness.

By the time they reached her apartment, she was nearly jumping out of her seat. She noticed that Akito's car wasn't in its spot and relaxed slightly, but remembered that she still had to make dinner. The minute the car stopped, she opened the door and went to jump out, but was held back by Deidara's hand coming in contact with her wrist.

"Wait. I have to ask you something..."

Hinata looked from the Deidara to the apartment building and back nervously.

"D-Deidara-kun... could we t-talk about this another t-time p-please?" She said softly, her gaze falling back on the building.

"Hinata," He had her attention immediately. That had to be one of the first times he'd called her by her full name with nothing attached, "Why do you stutter?"

She blushed slightly. That was not a question she was expecting. Asking something like that so bluntly was not something she was used to.

"U-um... I-I-" just then she saw a familiar car pull into the parking lot. She gasped and, grabbing her things, ran out of the car and into the apartment, not even saying goodbye to a hurt Deidara still sitting in his car.

He leaned across the passenger seat to close her door, sighing tiredly. For some reason, that hurt him more than it should of. Maybe he would invite Sasori and Tobi over for some drinks; he could really go for some company right now.

And just as he got out of his car, he saw a very familiar person walk by… a person who happened to have the name Akito.

Hinata ran up the stairs to her apartment, a slight bit of adrenaline running through her veins due to the excitement. She unlocked the door and slammed it shut, throwing her things in the bedroom under her bed (yes they have separate beds... did you really think her father would promote things like that before marriage? Tsk tsk tsk...) and running to the kitchen. Grabbing a plate, she threw the meatloaf and vegetables on it and stuck it in the microwave for a minute. As that was heating she grabbed a fork and knife, and waited, tapping her foot, for the microwave to finish. Just as it beeped she heard the front door open. She set him a place at the table, just like always, and finished just as he walked into the kitchen. Hinata braced herself for the worst as she stood, out of breath, in front of him. She thought carefully about the words she was about to say, trying not to set him off...

"Konnichiwa Akito no danna" she said, proud of her lack of stutter.

"Hn." was his only reply as he took his plate and utensils and walked into the living room, and the indigo haired women couldn't help but sigh in relief.

He was in a good mood today.

She smiled happily as she regained her breathing. She couldn't recall ever having as much fun with anyone as she had with Deidara today. She heated herself a plate of leftovers and sat at the kitchen table, almost truly happy for the first time since her mother died.

_**OK... I am soooo sry that it took so long! I can't say I have any excuses this time, other than school and my lil brother hogging the computer...but I think this is my longest chapter... so I hope that makes up for it xP**_

_**I'm soooo sry! cries but I will defidently try to update soon!**_

_**and sry if his art isn't very realistic... I haven't really seen to many sculptures, but I thought it'd be nice to make them like that... hope you likeyed **_

_**and review! Cause, no matter how many chapters you've already reviewed for, I still need to know that your still reading! thnx (AND NO FLAMES!)**_


	4. Chapter 4: Hanabi

_**Here is my update!!! Enjoy :**_

_**Disclaimer: Still no Naruto… sorry to disappoint all the crazy suers(sp?) out there… **_

_**NO FLAMES… but constructive criticism is greatly appreciated ( : **_

_**And before I forget, thank you so much to all of my reviewers!!! I love you all! And a reply for **_Useless Pity_**…. Ya I play the flute too! That's the best instrument right?? And I could definitely imagine Hinata playing it… it has such a soft delicate sound… a definite Hina-chan instrument btw… if you think I'm over doing the abuse parts, please tell me, cause I'm starting to think I am… thnkz! Here's chapter 4!!!**_

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Hinata awoke from her deep slumber at 2:00 AM to a rather loud knocking (or banging) on the door to the apartment. She slipped out of bed and went to look through the whole in the top of the door.

"Hinna-chhhaaann!" she heard a slurred voice say, "I haff to talk to yoouuu…" she opened the door and shushed him.

"Y-You'll wake up Akito!" she whispered.

"You look soooo perrty!" he replied, touching the bottom of her silk night gown. She pulled away, blushing at the realization that she hadn't grabbed her robe.

"Deidara! You have to go home!" she whispered.

"You never said good bye!" he was completely ignoring her.

"Deidara, stop being so loud! You're going to wake--"

"Hinata! Who the hell's at the door?!"

She winced at his voice, visibly shrinking a few inches, wishing she could disappear.

"Well, Hey-llo Akito-chan! I was just talkin to Hina-chan here… did you know that she didn't even sa--"

"HELLO!" Hinata screamed. They both looked over at her, shocked at her out burst. She blushed at the unwanted attention. "Hello… I d-didn't s-say hello w-when I answered the d-door." She finished, almost too quiet to hear.

"Hey… you didn't, did ya???" Deidara asked, totally sidetracked.

"Well Deidara, I hope you don't mind, but my fiancé and I have some business to attend to."

If Deidara wasn't drunk, he would have surely heard the rage in Akito's voice.

"Okey Dokey!" he said, falling to the ground like a plank of wood. Hinata and Akito saw Deidara's door open to a hyperactive (and probably drunk) Tobi scurry out.

"DEIDARA-SEMPIA!" he screamed, dragging said unconscious man into the apartment.

Before Hinata could register what just happened, the door was closed and Hinata was on the floor, a stinging red pain emanating from her face. She touched the spot Akito's hand had hit, wincing at the contact.

"How dare you wake me in the middle of the night for _that_!?" He screamed pointing at the door.

"B-But I--" Akito smacked the side of her head hard, making it collide with the wooden floor. She held her face near the floor, trying to resist forming the fetal position.

"STOP. THAT. STUTTERING!" He screamed.

Her body responded by shaking as she tried to hold back the tears. He kicked her side, forcing her to turn over on her back. She winced at the bruise he had just given her. He grabbed the front of her night gown, lifting her so her feet were firmly on the floor his grip still tight around her gown.

"I am going to bed." He stated angrily. "You will leave before I wake up and go stay at Hanabi's house, Got it? I will call for you when I'm ready!"

She nodded her head in response. He let go of her and walked into their bedroom, slamming the door behind him. She ran into the bathroom where he wouldn't hear her and let out the many tears she was holding in as quietly as possible.

As her impulsive sobs lessened, she tiptoed into the bedroom, making sure not to wake him, and packed a bag with some clothes in it. She also dove under her bed to take out something she held very precious to her. She then, closing the door behind her, walked to the front door and slipped on her shoes and jacket.

As the cold air hit her face, Hinata couldn't help but take in a deep breath, still trying to calm her shaken body. She truly couldn't believe how fast it all happened. One moment she was lying oh-so-comfortably in her bed, and the next she was walking out in the cold to spend a few nights at her sister's. She sighed tiredly, wishing to not see her worried sister's face. Her sister really had no reason to be worried. Hinata was living the life her mother lived, and she truly believed it was the life she deserved. Not everyone could have their happy ending, and Hinata really didn't mind giving up hers for her sister.

As she neared the beautiful house Hanabi and her husband had bought, she felt her stomach swell with butterflies. Taking a deep breath, she walked up to the door ringing the doorbell once.

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A very worried Hanabi answered the door in her robe. When she saw Hinata's tear drenched face, she almost broke down in tears.

"Oh, Oneechan! Akito-called-and-he-seemed-so-angry-did-he-hurt-you-again?"

Hinata barely understood what she had said. Hyuuga girls have a tendency to speak very quickly when they're nervous.

The older of the two forced out a painful smile, saying "You really shouldn't worry Hanabi. I'm perfectly fine, really."

Hanabi's face only saddened, and Hinata sighed, letting go of the charade. "I'm just tired is all…"

The brunette nodded and took her bag, a frown still placed on her lips. "You know where the guest room is, right?"

Hinata nodded in response, once again trying to smile, as she walked up the stairs of the luxurious house.

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Hinata awoke to a smell that she missed terribly. The smell of breakfast. When their mother was alive, the Hyuuga family would wake to the wonderful smell every morning. The blunette took a deep breath as she got out of bed, walking down the stairs smiling a small and curious smile. When she reached the kitchen, she saw Hanabi putting bacon from a pan onto a plate.

"Good morning!" she said cheerfully, "Konohamaru left for work early, so it's just you and me today! I thought that some breakfast might cheer you up!"

"Thank you Hanabi. It really is nice to wake up to the smell of bacon and eggs." Hinata said, her sad voice not really matching her cheerful demeanor. She took a seat at the bar in the middle of the kitchen, stealing a piece of the freshly fried bacon.

"Hinata, we really need to talk. This isn't healthy." Hanabi said once they had settled in.

"Please Hanabi, not today ok?"

"I won't watch this anymore! Hinata, your killing yourself! I don't want you to end up like mom! You've got to stick up for yourself!"

"Hanabi… I really don't mind. Father has to take out his rage on someone, and if it wasn't me it would've been you."

Hanabi sighed in defeat. "You can be so stubborn, Neechan."

Hinata simply avoided eye contact as she placed her plate in the sink.

"Thank you so much Hanabi, for everything." And with that, she retreated to her room. There was something she was very eager to do.

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She put the three pieces of the flute together, amazed that she remembered after all these years, and started off with a scale. She felt the excitement run through her veins as she played the scale faster, remembering each of the fingerings perfectly. After she had run through a few of the major scales, she closed her eyes and pictured her mother. Her fingers glided across the instrument, creating a soft, gentle, sad song as the memories of her beloved okasan flashed before her eyes. Then, another person's face appeared, and she gasped slightly at the feeling her heart had made at the thought of that certain person.

_Deidara…_

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Deidara woke up with an excruciating headache.

"I guess that's what I get for drinking so much." He mumbled to himself.

When he entered his living room, he was surprised to see Tobi and Sasori passed out on his living room floor, which was covered in beer bottles/cans. He sighed and went into his kitchen to get some aspirin. His head _really_ hurt.

"DEIDARA-SEMPIA!" a very obnoxious voice screamed.

He heard a groan from the living room.

"Shut-up!" another voice said, not as loud.

"Huh? Oh! HEY SASORI!"

There was a bang from the living room, and Deidara couldn't help the roll of his eyes.

"Could you be any louder!" Sasori came into the kitchen, grabbing the bottle of aspirin out of Deidara's hand and taking two out of it.

"Man, I haven't had a hangover this bad in a long time." He said groggily, taking Deidara's cup of water out of the blonde's other hand and downing the pills. "I have to go to the shop today, so I'll see you later Deidara." Sasori said, about to walk out of the kitchen when Tobi came out of now where. "OO! SASORI! COULD YOU TAKE ME HOME TOO!" both Deidara and Sasori covered their ears at their loud mouth friend.

"Yes!" Sasori hissed, "But only if you promise to keep you loud mouth shut!"

"OK!" tobi yelled, causing the two other people in the room to wince. Tobi quickly covered his mouth, mumbling something along the lines of 'I'll be quite' underneath his hand.

Sasori just shook his head and grabbed his keys from his pocket. "See you later Deidara."

"Ya, un. See ya." Deidara brewed himself some coffee and grabbed a garbage bag from under the sink. He collected all the evidence from last night and, with a cup of coffee in one hand, decided to get rid of the garbage.

On his way back up to his apartment, he heard lots of men's laughter coming from Hinata's apartment. He felt a sudden pang of emotion appear in his chest. Hinata? Surrounded by men? That did not sit well with him… but, then again, she was engaged… and her fiancé was probably throwing a party. Even with that probable assumption made, he still found himself knocking on her door.

"One second!" a laughing Akito said as he came to the door.

"Oh… it's you. I assumed after your little performance last night, you would be embarrassed to come back." Akito said, rather rudely.

"What performance, un?" Deidara asked.

"Well, you came here sopping drunk, and then ended up passing out. Your friend came to get you though." He answered his voice seemingly full of pity.

Deidara blushed slightly, wondering what he had said. He really hoped he hadn't blown Hinata's cover.

"Oh… sorry 'bout that." He said, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "Is Hina-chan there? I want to… apologize to her." he said putting his hand back down to his side.

"I'm sorry, she isn't here actually. She went to visit her sister." He answered. Deidara thought he sounded pretty happy about that. Smug, even.

"Oh… un" Deidara said. "Well… how long will she be staying there?"

"Probably a few days." Akito answered dismissively.

Deidara wasn't gonna let this drop yet. Suddenly, he felt an urge to talk to her, even if he did have a hang over. "Well, could I have the phone number over there? I really want to apologize for last night."

Akito's eyes narrowed… Deidara's smile turned into a grin. No polite way out of that one.

"Hn. Yes. Do you have a piece of paper?" Akito asked. What was the harm in giving him the number? Hinata wasn't stupid enough to cheat. Maybe he'd have to remind her who she belonged to…

"Ya." Deidara answered, taking a small slip of receipt out of his pocket. After Akito gave him the number, he slammed the door shut in Deidara's face. Our favorite blond merely shrugged his shoulders, feeling slightly smug at getting the number out of the jerk, and began walking back o his apartment to call Hina-chan.

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Ok… I know that was a kinda crazy chapter… I hope you guys liked it anyway!!! Pleaseeeee R&R!!! And tell me if there any possible way I can improve ;3


	5. Chapter 5 : The Inquisition

Disclaimer:

Disclaimer: .Naruto own not do I (xD)

Sryy it took so long to update… I'm dealing with a lot of stuff… although none of them should have held me back so long!!

Thnx soo much for all my reviewers!! I'm am realllly sorry for making you all wait… I can't believe I'm almost to 40 reviews!! I thought I'd be lucky to get to twenty xD

I LOVE YOU ALL!!

Chapter 5

As Hinata sat on the floor of her room, realizing her feelings for a certain blond, the phrase 'Speak of the devil, and he shall appear' would have fit quite nicely. The phone rang, and Hinata heard Hanabi's muffled voice from downstairs answer.

"Hold on…" Hanabi said. "Hinata!" she yelled up the stairs.

Hinata walked over to her bedside table and picked up the phone there, her fingers crossed, hoping it wasn't Akito.

"H-H-Hello?" she said nervously.

"Hina-chan?"

She sighed and her muscles visibly relaxed.

"Hi." She said, smiling at the word.

"So, Akito says I came over to your apartment last night. I'm really sorry 'bout that." He hadn't been completely lying when he said he wanted to apologize.

She giggled in response. "Ya, you did, but don't worry about it. Oh, and I'm… I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye to you last night. That was rude of me."

"No, its ok… you didn't get caught did you?"

"No, thank Buddha. He didn't suspect a thing. I-I had a r-really great time yesterday. Your art was so amazing!"

"Thanks. Hey I was wondering, do you think I could come by your sisters today?"

"Ya! Sure! I mean, I'll ask her, but I'm sure it'd be ok." Hinata wanted to see him so badly. She missed him, which was strange. They'd really only met a few weeks ago. Oh, how it felt like it'd been years.

"Great! I'll be right over!" He answered, feeling butterflies arise in his stomach. Something about this made him feel like he was back in high school, sneaking out of his house to go to late night parties.

"Ok! See you soon!" She hung up the phone, wanting to scream with excitement. But it wasn't until after she was out of the shower and drying her hair that she realized Akito had left a more than just a memory of his impulsive rage the night before. There was a nasty looking bruise located near her hairline. Half of it was hidden beneath her hair, but the part that was revealed was bad enough to raise suspicion. She gasped slightly, trying to hide it with her hair. It wasn't the best way to cover it, but it was all she had time for. She slipped on a pair of jeans and a loose fitting lavender shirt, glad to be out of a dress for once. She then skipped down the stairs to talk to Hanabi.

"What has you so cheery?" Hanabi asked, noticing the contentment on her sister's face.

"Would you mind if a friend of mine came over today?" She asked.

"I don't mind." And just as the words slipped from her mouth, the doorbell rang and Hinata quickly went to answer it, not before checking to make sure her bruise was covered properly.

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Deidara waited impatiently outside the door. He had to admit, he was slightly nervous about meeting Hinata's sister, especially after he saw her house. He never did get along with the rich. They usually looked down upon him, for he was a "starving artist". What was he compared to them.

He couldn't hide his relief when Hinata answered the door. She looked even more radiant then usual.

"Hey." she said, smiling brightly at him.

"Hi, un." He responded, returning her smile.

"Come on in! I want you to meet my sister."

Deidara gulped nervously as he stepped inside the house.

"Hanabi, this is my friend, Deidara. Deidara, this is Hanabi." Hinata introduced.

Hanabi, being the friendly person she is, stuck out her hand for a shake and said, "Nice to meet ya."

Deidara was officially shocked. He shook her hand in shock, and responded with a "Nice to meet you too."

"So, Deidara… I do hope you won't mind if I asked you a couple questions. I mean, if someone wants to be… close… with my sister, I need to know a few things about them." Hanabi said, rather protectively.

Hinata gasped at the way Hanabi said 'close'. "Hanabi! It's not lik--"

"Yes, yes… I'm sure it isn't Hinata, but there's still a few thing I need to know about him." Hanabi answered authoritively.

"I thought _you _were the big sister, hmm?" Deidara whispered in Hinata's ear.

"Yes, Why?" Hinata replied, curiously.

"No Reason."

"Ok Deidara. Ready?" The younger Hyuuga said.

"Um… yes, un?"

"How did you meet Hinata?"

"I live next door to her."

"How old are you?"

"23."

"Where did you live before you moved here?"

"Iwa."

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_**One hour later…**_

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"What are your intensions with my sister?"

"How many more questions are you gonna ask me, un?" Deidara asked, panting from all the question-answering.

"Well… I had a lot more but… I guess this will be my last one… well?"

"Hmm. At the moment, I have no intentions. We're just friends. I mean, she's getting married soon isn't she? There's no way anything could happen between us, even if I did like her... allot." The more Deidara thought about this, the more it depressed him.

Hanabi had a very knowing look on her face. Something told her that Hinata was on her way to getting a happy ending of her own. At that moment, Hanabi looked over at her older sister, and saw that she had passed out, her head leaning on her arms. She tried to suppress a giggle.

Deidara followed her stare, and seeing Hinata's beautiful face so peaceful made him smile softly. Every other time he'd seen her, she'd been so nervous or worried. When she was asleep, all the worry lines in her face smoothed out, and she looked even more beautiful than usual.

Hanabi looked at the expression on his face and decided she had to get this to move a little faster.

"You know, she must be very uncomfortable there. Maybe you should carry her to her room."

"Huh?" Deidara answered, her voice knocking him out of his trance, "Oh. Ya, good idea." He got up out of the chair (they had moved to the bar in the middle of the kitchen after 15 minutes), and went over to the older Hyuuga. He gently picked her up and carried her bridal style. She cuddled closer to him in his arms, and Deidara couldn't help but blush slightly.

_She's just so damn cute!_

It wasn't until he laid her on her bed, and her hair was pushed off her face, that Deidara's happiness had turned to rage. She had a horrible bruise on the side of her face. He pushed the hair aside farther and saw that it was even bigger than what he originally saw. It was recent too. It looked like it had just happened the day before… But it certainly wasn't there during the day. It would have had to happen that night. He would get to the bottom of this, but something told him that this wasn't an accident.

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A/N: I AM SOO SORRY ONCE AGAIN!! I'm sorry to make all my wonderful reviewers wait so long. I don't even think a plate of cookies could make up for my laziness… but I give them to you all anyway hands out 34 plates of cookies A plate for every review THANK YOU SOO MUCH!! ALL OF YOU!


	6. Chapter 6: So What Next?

**Disclaimer:** Nope, still no Naruto…

Chapter 6

Hinata sat up in her bed, wincing when she realized the bruise on her head hurt even worse than the slap that had caused it. It wasn't until she felt familiar hands around her back that she noticed she wasn't alone. She quickly gasped and moved away from Deidara, trying once again to cover the bruise with her hair, even though she knew it was too late.

"Hinata. Where did you get that bruise?" Deidara asked seriously, his eyes not leaving her form for a second.

"I--I--Wh-What bruise?" She blurted out, trying to avoid eye contact. This wasn't good. If Akito found out—she didn't even want to finish that train of thought.

"Hinata, I saw it. Why are you trying to hide it? What's going on?"

"I'm not--Nothing--I just--P-Please Deidara-kun, ca-can we j-just d-d-drop it? I-I… I really don't want to t-talk about it." She was shaking. This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all.

Deidara stepped off the mattress and sat in a chair that had been placed next to her bed. Hanabi had no doubt brought it up… but that means…

_Hanabi knows too?_

Hinata's shaking began to worsen. She couldn't take this. She needed to think. She jumped off the bed, only giving Deidara the chance to call her name, and ran down the stairs, heading for the door. Hanabi caught her at the bottom of the stairs, and when Hinata made contact with Hanabi, she fell apart in her arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Shh, Shh. It's Ok." Hanabi said, rubbing soothing circles on her back.

"H-He's g-going to h-hurt me e-e-even w-w-worse now!" she cried.

Deidara stood at the top of the stairs, wincing at every sob that went through her.

"Maybe I should go." He said as he made his way down the stairs. He couldn't take this much longer without hitting something, or maybe that special _someone _who put that bruise on her face.

"No." Hanabi said. "She needs you just as much as she needs me, if not more. Trust me, I know my sister. I'd never seen her happy before, never truly happy, until I saw her with you."

Deidara found that extremely hard to believe. He wasn't anything special, just an average starving artist. How could he have this affect on someone as sweet, caring, and loving, as Hinata?

The seemingly continuous sobs died down as Hinata slowly came to her senses. "I'm s-sorry." she mumbled in Hanabi's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"It's Ok." Hanabi said.

Deidara walked up to the two and rested a hand on Hinata's back. "We're here to listen, Hina-chan, if you wanna talk about it, un" Deidara said.

Hinata looked up at his face, smiling at the nickname.

"I… I want to talk about it." She said strongly.

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Two hours and five hot chocolates later, Hinata had told her story.

Deidara's fists had remained clenched since Hinata spoke of the first time Akito had hit her. He looked at her tear drenched face and felt his fists clench even tighter. He couldn't—no, wouldn't—let this go on.

The three sat in silence for a few moments, thoughts of the future running through their heads. Deidara was thinking along the lines of, beat the living crap out of Akito. Hanabi was considering running away with her sister. She was sure there wasn't any other peaceful way to get Hinata out of this. Hinata was trying to think of ways to convince them to leave things alone, and wishing that she hadn't told them. Now they would always be worrying about her, constantly aware of what was going on behind closed doors. On the other hand, however, it had felt inexplicably nice to finally tell someone about her problem.

Hanabi broke the silence with a small, "So, what next?"

Hinata and Deidara answered at the same time. Hinata with a, "Nothing", and Deidara with a "Well, something, un." The two stared at each other, not sure what to say.

"Hinata, you can't sit here and tell me that, after all the things he's done to you, you still want to be with him." Hanabi said.

"Well, no, but--"

"Than you don't have to be with him anymore, hmm."

Hinata sighed. They just didn't understand. Akito couldn't be told no. He was Akito, and he was impossible to run from.

"You just d-don't understand. To get away from him, i…it would just create so many problems. I would have to run my entire life, and living with him really isn't that bad. I can handle it."

"Who said anything about running? I've got friends, Hinata. We could hurt him the way he's hurt you, un!" Deidara fists were clenching and unclenching as a slightly manic grin spread across his face. Oh, yes, there were many things Deidara wanted to do to this guy.

Hinata gulped. The look on Deidara's face made her afraid _for_ Akito, and that was saying something. Maybe it was time to knock him out of his trance. "B-But, Deidara--"

"Hinata, I'm not taking no for an answer, I can't let you live this way, un!" That determined, manic look hadn't left his face, yet. He actually seemed… excited.

"Deidara! No!" Hinata yelled. "I can't let you, or anyone else, get involved in this! Akito is a dangerous man, Deidara. Don't you understand? He can't be stopped! He wants my father's fame and fortune and he's not going to let a simple sculptor get in his way!"

Both of them were shocked. Deidara's mouth was actually hanging open. This was the first time Hinata was really fighting for something, and it was her own torture.

Her tears had returned, along with a newly added determination.

"Hinata--"

"No Hanabi. This is my battle, and if I don't want to fight it, I won't." She had made up her mind. The life she was living was making her father happy, and although she wouldn't admit it, she had always wanted to not only make him happy, but to make him proud of her, too.

Everyone was silent. Hinata hadn't moved from her now-standing stance, her hands balled up into fists, silent tears running down her shaking face. Deidara didn't know what to say or do. He was so certain she would want saving, he never expected this. It made him so angry! This wonderful person had so much good in her that she was actually hurting herself with it, and Akito was taking advantage of that. Still, she didn't want him to do anything about it! Was he just supposed to stand by her side and let this kind of thing go on? No. He couldn't.

"Hinata, I won't watch this happen to you, I will not support your decision. If you don't let me do this, if you won't let me help you, than I can't see you anymore. It's either me or Akito, Hinata." As soon as it was out, Deidara wished he could take it back.

Hinata's body relaxed. In her eyes was so much hurt, so much pain, that Deidara physically winced. Before Hinata could answer his question, the phone rang. Hanabi hurriedly got up to answer it, slightly glad for the interruption. Everyone just needed time to think.

Hinata and Deidara were staring into each other's eyes. Neither one turned their head when they heard Hanabi's voice greet the caller. It wasn't until Hanabi hung up the phone that Hinata turned away.

"That was Akito." She said sadly, "He wants you home."

Hinata's face puckered, about to cry again. It looks like her decision was made for her. Without looking in Deidara's direction, she quietly walked up the stairs to pack her things.

Deidara watched her walk up the stairs. The click of the door as it closed behind her brought sorrow to his eyes, and without looking toward Hanabi or the guest room which Hinata had entered, he stormed out of the house. He would keep his word. If Hinata wants to live that life, then fine. He didn't need her. He had lived just fine before he met her, and he would live just fine without her now.

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The slam of the front door made Hinata break down in tears. Why is it that she always ruined things? She couldn't do anything right. Every time there was something good in her life, she either scared it away, or it was taken from her. Maybe she was the gods big joke. Maybe they just took out all their anger out on her.

Hanabi quietly walked up the stairs, knocking softly on the door. "Hinata?"

Hinata quickly tried to stop the tears, realizing that she couldn't hurt Hanabi this way anymore. She straightened up and went to answer the door.

"I'm sorry Hanabi, I'm fine, really. Please don't worry, I'll be fine." She stuck a smile on her face, but there was so much grief and pain inside her that she was sure it looked more like a grimace. She turned around and began packing the few articles of clothing she had brought with her, preparing to go back to her life with Akito.

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**A/N: NO THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE STORY!!! I really didn't plan for it to take this twist, but after I got the idea for it, it all just wrote itself… next chapter will be a small time skip, not sure how long a skip exactly, but I know exactly how I'm gonna end it now, so the rest of the chapters should be updated pretty fast… no promises though… I'm holding a job and they're only giving me Tuesdays and Thursdays off, and I'm a junior so I'm trying really hard to get good grades for college, and on top of that I now have a puppy whose taking up a lot of my time, what with potty training and all, and the other four people in my family REFUSE to help me take care of him… so really sorry for the long wait, but writing is kinda at the bottom of my list right now ;c (along w/ reading, sadly :c) **

**Ok! Time for the anonymous reviewers! **

**Andy: lol! I'm so gonna use that phrase now!!! xD I didn't think I would like it at first either, but I have to admit, this pairing drags you in! Thankz soo much for your review! I'm really glad you like my story ^^ **

**Berry-your loving fan x]: You're welcome! Enjoyy! You deserve them for being such a great reader and reviewer ^^**

**THNX A TON TO ALL MY REVEIWERS! I know I've said this before, but w/o you guys, I probably would've given up on my writing a long time ago. xD THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH!!!**


	7. Chapter 7: Regret

**Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto.**

Chapter 7

"Oh, Akito! Only a little longer till the wedding! You must be so excited!" An artificially blonde woman stated, over-acting her extremely-fake enthusiasm.

"Why, of course. Hinata and I just can't wait." Akito replied, mirroring her tone.

"And what a beautiful bride you will make Hinata!" the women said.

Before Hinata could respond to her compliment, Akito replied for her. "She is wonderful, isn't she?" Hinata simply smiled in response. She had been introduced to so many pretenders today, none of them wanting or expecting her to speak. She was just the bride, she was just Hinata. She had no right to speak. Perhaps it was better that way. She'd most likely just embarrass herself, anyway.

"Oh, she is!"

"Well, I believe we should head home, right Hinata, my love?" Once again Hinata replied with a smile, not truly wanting to leave, afraid that as soon as they reached the car he would change into his true self. They said their goodbyes to all the guests, and her father, the host of the banquette, and as they made their way to the car, Hinata tried to keep as silent and invisible as possible.

"Your father and I have decided the date for our wedding." Akito said coolly. "It will be 6th of next month."

October 6th. She would be married to _Akito_ on October 6th. He would be able to do whatever he wanted to her starting on the night of October 6th.

Hinata suddenly felt extremely nauseous.

Seeing the expression on Hinata's face suddenly gave Akito a terribly evil glint in his eye.

"It's exciting, isn't it?" He said, pulling over the car.

"O-Oh, yes. Very" she said, cursing herself once again for her damn stuttering.

"Now, what have I told you about your stuttering, Hmm?" Akito's voice seemed dangerously calm.

"I'm sorry, Akito no Danna." She said mechanically, her eyes focused on the blackness outside the front windshield.

"This time, Hinata dear, I'm not so sure sorry is good enough. You might just have to make it up to me." Akito smirked menacingly at the side of her face. She gulped, feeling her body begin to shake.

The man beside her laughed softly at her terror, brushing a few strands of hair behind her ear. Hinata tried futilely to hold back her tears. It seemed that the closer they got to the wedding, the more interest Akito had in our young Hinata. Though he had never done anything sexually to her yet, he seemed to like mentioning the act to her every day. Every time he did, it seemed like he might just take her there and then, and yet he didn't. For the five months since her fight with Deidara, he has never once felt the need to touch her sexually.

Lately though, Akito had been severely bored. So this time, he decided to entertain himself.

Gripping Hinata's hair tightly, he locked his lips with hers, enjoying the taste of her tears. He roughly pushed his tongue into her mouth, one of his hands beginning to make its way down her body. He continued this for a while, disappointed at her lack of reaction. He began removing the top of her dress, his hands slipping lower, and lower, and lower until-

"NO!" a voice screamed. It took Hinata a few minutes to realize who that voice belonged to. As she stared up at the angry face of her fiancé, Hinata felt a completely different kind of nausea envelope her.

She was going to die.

"What did you say?" Akito's spoke in a cool, deadly voice, sending chills up her spine.

Without a moment's hesitation, Hinata felt the sting of a strong hand making contact with her face.

"I-I-I'm S-Sorry!" _slap_ "I-I'm Sorry!" _slap_ I-I-I-I-I-" she began sobbing uncontrollably, her mouth moving without the assistance of sound.

Akito grabbed her numb face roughly with his hands, "Come now, Hinata. You know better than to do that. How many times must I teach you this lesson? You never resist me." As he said this, he opened his door. As Hinata watched him walk around the front of the car, she felt her shaking body begin to freeze with terror.

He opened her door and swung her out onto the sidewalk. She began crawling away, only to be kicked on her side.

"Oh, Hinata, Hinata. You're only making it worse. I can't let you get away with such a crime." He kicked her again, earning a squeal.

"Yes Akito no Danna" she said softly.

"Not loud enough." He said, kicking her other side.

"Yes Akito no Danna!" she yelled, willing the pain away. "I'm sorry!"

"So am I Hinata. I'm going to have to punish you, now. There's no other choice."

It was in that empty street, void of any houses, that Hinata realized what this man was capable of.

_****_

The next few weeks went by in a blur for Hinata. After that night she felt broken, and it seemed the only emotion she could feel was fear, that feeling reserved for Akito. Yes, our evil villain took Hinata that night as she lay on the cold hard ground. After that night Akito rarely touched her, merely looking at her was enough to send her body into shock. She had always known him as evil, but she never expected he would go that far. To defile her from head to toe in every way possible was something she had never considered him capable of.

Now the wedding was only two weeks away. Akito had done all of the planning, not even letting Hinata out of the house. This was understandable; Akito wouldn't want Hinata's still-bruised face seen in public. Though the bruises were almost healed, the nasty yellow coloring of them would still cause too much attention. So she spent her days inside cleaning, cooking, and daydreaming about a certain blond. The need for a friend through all of this had really been getting to her, and Deidara was the best friend she ever had. She could also never stop thinking about what could've happen if only she had let him help.

Hinata put the last article of clothing in her suitcase. She would be spending the night at Hanabi's tonight; the first time she would have been there since she refused Deidara's help. Akito was having friends over tonight, and because she would only be in their way, he arranged the sleep over. So, with her suitcase in tow, she began the small walk to her sister's house.

_****_

Deidara sighed as he looked at his latest piece of art. It sucked. It really did. He picked up the small half-carved insect and casually dropped it on the floor where it shattered, adding to the pile of other crushed sculptures on his apartment floor. It had been over five months since Deidara had made anything worth selling. Ever since his fight with Hinata, there hasn't been a drop of inspiration in him. He let out another frustrated sigh and left his work bench to stand on the balcony. The sun was almost below the horizon, and as the first few stars began to show Deidara couldn't help but think of Hinata. Even though they weren't talking, they saw each other at least once a day, and lately Deidara hadn't seen Hinata at all. It scared him and he couldn't get the idea of Hinata being terribly hurt out of his mind.

Suddenly Deidara saw Akito walk onto the balcony next door. Not wanting to deal with the jerk, Deidara went to walk back to his apartment. However, he heard a few other voices and his curiosity sparked causing him to stop by the door and listen in on their conversation.

"Ya, she's an annoying little shit, good thing her dad's loaded though." The slurred voice of Akito stated, followed by drunken laughter.

"So where is the little shit Akito?" said a voice Deidara didn't recognize.

"With that sister off hers, Hanabi. Now she's a smart girl, keeps her mouth shut and her head outa other people's business. Always takes Hinata in with her when I can't stand her anymore."

"I don't know Akito, Hinata's a looker, alright." came another unrecognized voice.

"Yeah, well that damn stutter of hers destroys any attractive thing she's got. After her father kicks it, I wouldn't think twice about getting rid of her." Akito laughed at this thought, apparently his friends found it funny too.

Deidara didn't. He clenched his fists.

"Ya", spoke another unfamiliar voice, "Just like that dumb mother of hers. Hiashi was right to get rid of her when he had the chance."

That was enough. Deidara slammed the patio door shut, destroying his cover, and stormed into his kitchen. He grabbed a glass and filled it with tap water, chugging half of it.

_She didn't want my help. This is her problem now. _

But even as he thought this, he knew he had to warn her. He had to help her this time, whether she wanted it or not. Suddenly, he saw a small piece of paper sticking out of one of the kitchen drawers. Curious, he pulled it out. It was the receipt where he had written Hanabi's phone number. Maybe he'd give her a call.

_****_

Hinata wrung the door bell at Hanabi's house, not necessarily wanting to see her sister's worried face. The door was answered soon after and Hanabi was immediately worried by Hinata's appearance.

"…. Hinata…. what happened?"

"It was nothing Hanabi. It was my fault. I should've known better than to refuse him." She tried to smile, but failed horribly.

Hanabi looked as if she might cry. "Come here." She said, pulling Hinata into a hug. Hinata wanted to cry, she wanted to break down and beg for help. But she couldn't do that to Hanabi. She wouldn't. So instead she hugged back and said, "I'm alright". She walked past Hanabi and up to the guest bedroom to unpack her things. As soon as she put her hand on the door knob, memories of that day five months ago started to come back to her as if they happened yesterday, and tears of regret began to fall. With a sigh, she opened the door to the bedroom and slipped inside. She walked into the room and, placing her suitcase on the floor next to the bed, she bent down to open her unpack. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye she saw a small dusty black case. Shocked, she picked it up. It was her flute. Suddenly, Hinata did something that she felt she would never be able to do again. She smiled.

_****_

_**A/N: Two more chapters to go! :D (hopefully, if it all goes according to plan)**_

_**I know you all hate me at this point, and I don't blame you, I'm really terrible at updating D;**_

_**Good thing I went to Maine for vacation :D (it's in the middle of nowhere so I had plenty of time to write :D)**_

_**I picked October for the wedding only because I wanted the art fair to be in April… originally I made it a june wedding, but then I counted back 6 months and realized, "oh. That means the fair was in December… hmm, well that doesn't really work" so ya, this is now taking place in sept. and the weddings in Oct. :D (you can tell I've realllly planned this whole thing out, lol)If you guys notice any mistakes when it comes to dates and stuff please please please point it out to me :] I might've missed some stuff…**_

_**And Please please please review! NO FLAMERS like always, and I would love to hear any constructive criticism :D soooooo0o0oo REVIEW! **_

_**Anonymous Reviewers: **_

_**Black_Cat (): I know it is sad! ]; but don't worry! A happy ending is on the way :DD thanks for the review! **_


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